Winterspell
by QuillOwl
Summary: AU: Fantasy. Andrea was a traveller, wandering without a purpose until she plummeted through a sheet of ice and landed in an ancient chamber. Jackson was alone, not knowing his past or purpose and was forever trapped within a chamber for centuries. As a prophecy neither knew about threatens both their lives, they must work together to find their purpose in a darkened land.
1. Prologue: In the harsh, Winter night

**Full Summary: **AU: Fantasy Universe. Andrea Fawcett was a traveller, wandering across the lands without a purpose until she plummeted through a sheet of ice and landed in an ancient chamber. Jackson Overland was alone, not knowing his past or his purpose and was forever trapped within a chamber sealed by ice and snow for centuries. As a prophecy both never knew about threatens their lives, two people on separate journey's to find themselves must help to find each others purpose in the world.

**Rating:** Rated T due to violence, (minor) blood and the possibility of rude language throughout the whole story.

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**Prologue: **In the harsh, Winter night

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It all began during the Winter, in the bitter and dark night where shadows towered and loomed across the stone walls of the great palace.

The palace enjoyed the Winter, they craved it so much that they built their kingdom in the Frosted Hills where the snow never thaws, so they can enjoy watching every snowflake descend and every water drop freeze before it could even fall. The Winter Plain and the Frosted Hills was a paradise for them, so they built their castle in paradise, a castle so large and so big that its overwhelming towers could have been seen from the very south of the land if you looked towards the glimmering horizon of the north.

They never expected it to happen, nobody ever would have, especially during the even harsher Winter of the north. But it did and, unfortunately, they couldn't do anything until it was too late.

A child was stolen from them, a prince at that. Destined to be a powerful king, yet taken before he could grasp adulthood.

They didn't ask why, or how, or even who, they just wanted to know _where_. Where did he go? _Where will he be found?_

The kingdom of the Frost's wailed during the night, loud enough for the whole land to hear their pleads. Kingdoms far and wide came. Many came to send prayers and hope for them, yet only few offered to plead their help towards the Palace of the Frost's.

Oaths were taken, promises were made and alliances were formed until a group made of the strongest kingdoms was created: The Guardians. They swore to find the kingdom's stolen child, and hopefully return him before the kingdom falls and the other heirs are long dead and their stories were long forgotten.

Their hope was lost as the King and Queen died, withered away by old age and death as did their heirs. The kingdom of the Frost's crumbled, yet the Guardians still had an oath to keep.

They did everything, created spells and used the most powerful enchantments to keep them strong and young. Armies were created, weapons were forged, ancient magic was used and pleads were given to the gods above. Everything to find the child, the last heir and survivor of the Great Winter Kingdom.

200 hundred years, dreadfully came and painfully went, until an answer was finally heard.

The Man in the Moon, the most powerful yet most mysterious being in existence, answered the Guardians. He said he took the prince, hid him away from darkness that threatened to steal him first, that wanted him for such dreadful causes.

But that wasn't what mattered, for The Man in the Moon blessed them with a single prophecy, the words that bonded the Winter Kingdom's Heir. They read the words and they remained burnt in their minds for eternity, the words that shall forever repeat in their heads until the prophecy has been fulfilled.

However, they weren't the only ones that knew.

The darkest kingdom, ruled by the most corrupt king, found out the prophecy and its secret words by quiet whispers and ruthless traitors. The king forced his way into the game the Guardians played, saying that he wanted the boy for his own causes. The Guardians instantly declined the king, throwing him back into the dark kingdom he came from.

Then the king tainted the prophecy, killing thousands to prevent a single line from becoming true.

War broke out between the kingdoms at the news of the bloodshed, the Guardians and the Nightmare King battled through the night and day to be the victorious one.

Blood was shed, warriors were deceased and families were broken as war continued to rage on. Only when the opponents made truce did the battle stop. Both sides went their separate way and brought no harm to each other for the truce stated that there be no war or bloodshed until the prophecy takes place.

When the prophecy finally begins, a war beyond any seen in hell will break out, a war to who wins the Winter Prince.

100 years after the truce yet no scene of the prophecy was witnessed, and kingdoms began to mourn and weep as the hope dripped away and fear replaced their hurting thoughts.

Though the kingdoms of the Guardians never gave in, for when a hint of hope was beginning to slip did the prophecy get spoken through their minds once more:

_Child of frost hidden from the night,_

_A brown eyed child kept from light,_

_Kingdoms crumble in shadowed sleep,_

_Hundreds shall forever weep,_

_Until the Winter Prince be found,_

_By a lost one breaking through ground,_

_At first snowfall will kingdoms rise,_

_and bringer of silver shall light darkened skies._


	2. Chapter 1: A lost one

**_Hello!_ I'm QuillOwl, if you didn't know already!**

**This whole entire AU was created by one song, Winterspell (Hence the name) by Two Steps From Hell.  
I highly recommend you listen to it, or just listen to Two Steps From Hell in general. They're music is very inspiring and creative, and just has a beautiful, magical feeling in every tune. **

**If you've read my other RotG fanfictions, 'Visible' and 'Invisible', then you would know who Andrea Fawcett is. But, don't worry, you don't have to read them to understand this. The only difference is that the people that have read my other works could be able to predict the plot easier.**

**Okay then, if you see any mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation etc. then tell me by a review or PM.  
Also, if you have any questions, just send a PM and I'll reply ASAP.**

**Okay then! _Read on!_**

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**Chapter 1: **A lost one

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Clutching her clock tighter to her shivering body, a petite, slim girl gave an irritated huff as she trudged through the never-ending plains of thick, icy snow; her mixture of golden and brunette hair flying around her reddened face due to the vicious, bitter wind blowing around her.

Who would be stupid enough to travel across the frosted hills during the Winter (Even though, frosted hills _never_ thawed and winter has forever plagued its land. Yet, by some unknown way, it still gets a season _more_ harsh and bitter then the rest.) by themselves?

That would be Andrea Fawcett, forever wandering traveller across the lands, never stopping in a kingdom or town for long before she journeys away again for another day of wonder and adventure.

Grasping the edges of her worn out cloak, Andrea's knuckles turned a pale white as a breeze of freezing wind brushed past her cheek. The wooden branch strapped to her back buried deeper in between her shoulder blades as she held the cloak tighter for warmth. She didn't mind the discomfort on her back, though, for as long as her warm cloak remained on her shoulders then she'll still hope that she can travel across the frosted hills and live to tell the tale.

Gazing behind her with bright, hazel eyes, Andrea's cheek got battered by a cold wind as she looked back to see no trails from her feet. That was the problem with the Frosted hills, even though it hasn't snowed for centuries, the land finds a way to erase your trail and make you eternally lost within its frozen depths.

Andrea didn't care, for she only goes _forward_ in her life. Unless she wants to turn back and return to her hometown of Burgess, in the Kingdom of Saint North

Urgh, _Kingdoms!_ Andrea was growing rather sick of the towering castles and their rulers, who fought and bickered over something that had happened over a century or two ago. For decades now, kingdoms from across the land has been convinced to join a side: The alliance of the Guardians, or the control of the Nightmare King. Very few chose the Nightmare King, for knowing what he has done in the past, yet Andrea heard his army was made of pure shadows and fear, and that only the strongest, bravest people could fight against them.

The problems with the kingdoms didn't really bother her, but things in each kingdom was getting so tense that Andrea just wanted a war to break out so everything could be over with. She didn't mind what side won, as long as she still had the freedom to wander the lands and travel alone.

Thoughts of kingdoms clouded Andrea's mind, before another gust of wind threatened to freeze her body snapped her back to reality with a horrid shiver. Ancient snow fluttered around as if it was actually descending from the skies...But that would be impossible, silly even, for it has not truly snowed in _centuries!_ Hail and storms had plagued kingdoms during the harsh seasons, but no delicate snow or beautiful frost came to bring wonder to the eyes of villagers everywhere.

Andrea continued to trudge through the thick blanket and bitter wind that threatened to chill her core, her boots crunching the ground beneath until a thundering clunk echoed through the plain. She raised an eyebrow at the sound, halting at the spot to stamp her foot harshly against the ground.

She yelped as she heard the same echoing noise repeat.

Glancing below her feet, Andrea released a horrified gasp as she saw a thick sheet of glistening ice creak under her shaking body. Beyond the disfigured and frosted appearance below the clear ice, she could only see a deep cavern so deep it was concealed by darkness.

_'Well...that doesn't look good.'_ She thought, her whole body trembling in worry and- dare she admit it - fear as she began to cautiously step forwards; slowly getting across the easily breakable ice.

_Crack!_ Before she could even react to the noise or even flinch, the icy ground crumbled underneath her feet and she began to plummet through the darkness, releasing a petrified scream as she fell...

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Gravity caused her insides to squirm and clutch tightly, her hands frantically grasping for any surface but every attempted failed as she slipped away from the icy holdings that immediately broke under her weight.

Her fearful screams echoed through the never-ending cavern, her shill cries constantly bouncing across the slick walls as the shadows overwhelming the cavern threatened to embrace her as she helplessly plummeted towards the ground..._if there even was any._

That answer was given as pain broke through her , collapsing on to hard, icy ground with an anguished cry, agony spreading across her chest and the rest of her at the sudden contact with the floor.

Silence filled the darkened cavern after her loud, painful fall, her heavy breathes and the sound of crumbling ice being the only thing that can be heard.

A groan escaped Andrea as she shifted her body, gently turning to her side to keep her face away from the freezing cold floor; letting her arms support her while she eventually got up. Horrible clicks came from her spine and shoulders as she moved, the bones putting themselves back in place as she stretched.

No broken bones? Check. No ruptured organs? Check. No displacement of limbs? Check.

Well, she has been in a worse situation before when it came to her body and injuries, so she was rather grateful.

After a few moment regaining her ability to stand, Andrea surveyed the area. She narrowed her eyes and gave a threatening stare at everything around her until they widened at the twinkling arches and tunnel that surrounded her. She gaped at the iced walls that glistened by lingering sunlight from the world above, lighting the whole cavern with a mystical, blue glow.

It couldn't have been a place created by nature, no matter how powerful Mother Earth truly was. The whole _cavern_ had an overwhelming sense of ancient magic around it, making Andrea's finger tingle at the odd feeling.

Archways were engraved with smoothly crafted swirls and circles, the surfaces of every iced drawn with several hundreds of symbols and images, each wall showing different, beautiful skilled designs and patterns. Andrea immediately knew these drawing were created by an artist, formed by a skilled hand and not any ancient magic.

It was amazing, Andrea unfortunately had to admit. The whole chamber of ice and twirling frost just seems like a Winter paradise, its beauty and magic hidden from the world by being buried so deep.

But Andrea had a rule, if a secret place is beautifully made and elegantly crafted then it's probably a dangerous trap that could contain terrifying monsters that can brutally murder you on sight.

"H-hello?" Andrea hesitantly called as she cautiously stepped towards the archway of a wide tunnel, her eyes not able to see beyond the shadows within, _"Hellooo!"_ She repeated, slowly edging her head through the archway as she tried to gaze pass the darkness.

"GUCHAFF ARH!" A rough, deep voice roared, Andrea staggered backwards from the archway as a towering creature of muscle and fur came charging out of the tunnel, it's murderous eyes searching as it held its giant, sharply tipped spear.

The monster laid its eyes upon her miniature, fragile form, its irises widening at the sight of the girl. "Oh shit." Andrea squeaked before bolting through a random tunnel.

_"INTURUFFRN!"_ The vicious creature cried, it's voice echoing through the chamber Andrea desperately sprinted through, the walls of ice trembling as it furiously stomped after her.

Her breath hitched as she ran, fear and panic pumping in her veins as she swiftly journeyed through the maze of tunnels and chambers. Clumsy fingers trailed across the ice, the bitter feeling numbing her fingers within moments, as darkness blinded. Her feet stumbled as the floor rumbled, the stomps of the monster making the chamber almost unbearable to run through.

The monsters outraged yells became much more furious and bloodthirsty, its voice increasing in volume as it began to catch up with Andrea, herself beginning to feel defeat and hopelessness as the creature drew nearer to her slowly tiring form.

Light shone through the blackened tunnel she was in, determination making her sprint towards the shining beacon. Entering a small, domed chamber full of numerous other tunnels, Andrea didn't take her time to choose a tunnel and bolted into the nearest archway closest to her.

"Help!" Andrea cried as she entered another chamber full of passages, "Somebody help! Help-!" Another rushing object collided into her, Andrea collapsing on to the floor after the hard contact as all the breath escaped her lungs within the second of collision.

Andrea rushed towards her feet, instantly remembering the dangers happening. Her hand reached over towards her back, her fingers grasping on to the hard, solid branch within her grip as she ripped it out of its hold. With her branch, she took a fighting stance, preparing to attack the thing that collided into her, ready to advance the creature that threatened to murder her as she glared ahead and saw a-

...A _boy_.

The youthful teen stumbled on to his clumsy feet, disorientated and confused by the collision. His brown, worn out cloak covering his head while his arms frantically moved around to try to remove it. Yanking it off, a mop of messy, brown hair revealed itself. Light chocolate-brown irises darted everywhere, searching the tunnel in a panicking fit.

His eyes glanced everywhere before they rest on Andrea for a moment, until looking away and snapping his eyes back in realization, gaping at her as he stuttered out, "What-? Who-?"

Andrea instantly clutched his wrist, "No time, _run!_"

She sprinted through a random archway, yanking the boy's wrist within her fingers and forcing him to follow while she continued to run through the labyrinth of chambers and tunnels. Gasping breathes echoed through the darkened caves, the monsters roars dying away after one last bowling cry from the beast in defeat before silence.

Another chamber they went through, and Andrea then flung herself to the side and pinned herself; releasing her grip on the boy as the icy wall chilled her sweating neck.

Releasing a sigh of relief, Andrea began to un-tense as the feeling of danger and terror slipped out of her system.

"H..hello? Who...who are you?" Andrea's whole body froze at the questioning, rather dry voice. _'Shit, I forgot about_ _that...'_ Andrea thought as she glanced towards the boy, who stood in front of her and gazed at her with utter confusion and..._curiosity?_

They shared a look for a few moments, before Andrea cleared her throat, "I'm Andrea, Andrea Fawcett. Traveler of the great lands and child of the Saint North kingdom." She suddenly claimed, her head tilting up higher in pride of her status and holding her hand out for the boy to take.

The youthful teen only looked at the hand, then at Andrea, and back again, hesitating at the awaiting palm in front of him. Cautiously, he stepped towards Andrea, only an arm's length away as he reached his hand out and-

Poked her on the collarbone. _Hard._

"Ow!" Andrea exclaimed, baffled by the action, "What the hell-?!" The teen continued to poke her viciously, jabbing her collarbone and arm until a smile grew on his lips, "Would you stop poking me!?" Andrea yelled in frustration, smacking the boy's hand away from her.

"You're...You're _real?!_" The boy spoke, his eye lighting up with childish joy.

"That is the most _ridiculous_ thing I have ever heard! Of course I'm real, you idiot!" Andrea yelled in irritation, burning anger pulsing through her body while she murderously glared at the annoying teen.

"I...I never meet a real..." He muttered under his breath, before clearing his throat, "I-I'm Jackson Overland, traveller of nowhere and child of...,well, here."

_'Sarcastic are we? Irritating bastard.'_

"You're joking right?" Andrea replied to his odd claim, looking at the teen with narrowed eyes, "You live _here?!_"

He blinked at her, glaring at Andrea with an odd look, "Urm...yeah, I do. Actually, I've lived here a long time." He answered, shrugging his shoulders.

"How can you possibly live _here?_" Andrea exclaimed, throwing her arms out wide, "It's cold, it's dark, and, if you haven't noticed, it contains a terrifying bloodthirsty monster that just attempted to _kill me!_"

"Are you talking about Phil?"

Andrea scoffed, "_Phil?!_ You gave that monster a _name?!_"

"Yeah, his name's Phil. And he's not a monster, he's a yeti. He comes to the chamber every Winter Solstice to protect the chamber and reinforce the security." The teen explained, "You were pretty unlucky to end up in this chamber right now, if you came a few days later then you wouldn't have been attacked by Phil."

"Is your family _insane?!_" Andrea cried, getting rather close to the boy as she released all her frustration out, "What kind of people _are you?!_ Letting a creature like this just attack people!" Andrea paced around the room, brushing a hand through her hair as she exhaled tense breathes, "I better see your family _right now_ so I can give them a rather loud earful!"

The boy's eyes didn't gaze at Andrea, avoiding her eyes as he stared at the ground and mumbled a replied, "I...I don't have a family." He glanced up, meeting Andrea's horrified and widened eyes, "I'm on my own, and I've always had been."

"Where...Where did your family go?" Andrea asked, her tone losing it's strictness and fury as her tone softened.

Andrea watched as his brow creased at the question, his eyes growing more sad, "I...I don't know."

"Do you know if they'll ever come back?"

"No."

"Do you even know who your family _are?!_"

"I-...No." He glared at the floor again, ashamed.

Silence filled the small, iced chamber, the unbearable quiet making Andrea's curiosity and concern grow drastically.

"How old are you?" She suddenly asked, the breaking of the silence causing the boy to stare at her.

"I-I don't know."

"When was you born?" Andrea questioned again, growing more desperate for _any decent answer_ from the boy!

"I don't...remember-"

"Where was you born-?"

_"I don't know!"_ He yelled, cutting Andrea in mid-speech and shocking her into another deep silence.

"Wha-...What do you know?" Andrea asked, her tone quiet, calm and cautious as she stepped closer to the teen .

"That my name is Jackson Overland and..." He gestured to the whole chamber and the tunnels beyond, his eyes full of what seemed like eternal sadness, "that I live here."

"...What's your first memory?"

He immediately stared downwards, stuttering out a barely audible answer, "I...it was..." He brushed a hand through his hair, "Darkness, cold, fear, and then this place. I woke up here, and lived here for all my life..."

Andrea advanced towards the boy, him not noticing until she placed a gentle, comforting hand on his shoulder; bending her neck so she was caught in his downcast line of vision, "How long have you been here, Jackson?" It was a question she preferred not to ask, it seemed to personal and...she would prefer not to have had an answer.

"I'm-...I'm not sure-"

"Oh long do you _think _you've been here for?" She rephrased the question, "Just...tell me an answer..._please_." Andrea pleaded, squeezing Jack's shoulder in reassurance.

"I think...I think it's been..." He began to mumble out, not fully confident in trusting Andrea with the answer, "About...300 years?"

Andrea gasped, releasing her hold on Jackson so she can stumble backwards; pity clutching her heart and she covered her gaping mouth in horror. _'Oh Moon, you poor soul...'_

This wasn't the first time Andrea's heard of immortals, she occasionally heard a story or fable in her travels about people who tried to live for a long time by using spells or enchantments. She believed they were true but..._300 years!_ 3 whole _centuries_ alone in a cave with _nobody_ for comfort or support.

It all made her stomach twist into knots, the new information making the forming guilt gnaw at her insides.

"Am I...Am I the first person you've talk to." She stuttered out, her voice rather broken from all the pity, guilt and hurt that squirmed through her body.

"No, I've tried talking to Phil-"

"The first ever_ human_ you've talked to?" _'Please shake your head, please shake your head. Oh Moon, please shake your head!'_ Her mind desperately chanted as she intensely watched the teen.

He nodded his bowed head, and Andrea's heart felt like it had truly, _physically_ caved in.

"I..urm...wow..." Andrea spoke after spending several minutes- _or was it hours?_ -staring at the boy with no idea how to respond. Clearing her throat, she stepped closer to Jackson, giving a rather sheepish wave, "Well, hello, Jackson."

"Please, call me Jack." He replied, giving Andrea a small, hopeful smile.

"Nice to meet you, _Jack_." Andrea corrected herself, doing a quick, awkward curtsy as she returned the smile.

"Yeah..." The conversation then died after that, uncomfortable, frustrating quiet overwhelming the pair once again.

"Hey, urm..." Jack began to speak, Andrea looking at him with a questioning look, "How...how did you even get here, or even find here? It's must be horribly difficult to enter, and is just_ impossible_ to escape from." That last sentence made Andrea wince, "So, how could you of-"

"I was travelling through the Frosted Hills." Andrea started to explain, immediately getting an utterly confused look from Jackson, "And I was walking, and ended up on a rather dangerously thin sheet of ice. I tried to move away, but the ice cracked and I fell through the hole under the ice and...-well," Andrea shrugged, "Ended up here."

The whole atmosphere changed, tenseness becoming excitement and wonder as the boy's eyes widened, "You...You fell through the ice! Up on the _surface?!_" He cried, bouncing straight up to Andrea with a bright, joyful grin.

"Urh, yes. I don't see how this is important-?"

"I..you've got to be-" He literally trembling in excitement, his hands and feet shaking with bubbling energy. He suddenly shot upwards in a jump, releasing a loud laugh before grabbing Andrea's hand, "You _have_ to come me with me!" He exclaimed, dragging Andrea through a dimly lit tunnel even though Andrea wanted to complain and argue.

"Where the hell are we going-?!"

"Just come with me, You'll find out eventually!" He cheerfully cried, his voice bouncing across the smooth, icy walls of the caves like a delightful melody, while he seemed to almost _physically explode_ with urging motivation.

The tunnel began to curve upwards, spiraling higher towards the bitter, snowy surface. Jack bounced through an archway, freeing Andrea's hand as she was welcomed by bright light when entering the rather chilly chamber. Engravings and drawing filled every surface of ice within the chamber, the art glittering in the whitened light causing it to shine magically and beautifully. Curious, hazel eyes darted around, studying sturdy pieces of furniture that was crafted out of frozen ice: A bed, a table, a chair...

"Urm, yeah, this is where I sleep." Jack commented, noticing how Andrea was eyeing all the bulky, uncomfortable interior, while Andrea brushed a finger on the hard, bitter cold bed.

"I have no idea how you could sleep on something like this." Andrea talked, knocking a finger on the ice block which made a rather painful _tap_ at the contact. Jack chuckled at Andrea, herself spotting the boy giving a shrug.

"300 years is a long time to adapt to things. And, besides, the cold doesn't bother me." Jack replied, "Don't need to wear warm clothing, or thick clock. I don't even need _shoes!_"

Andrea took a glance down at the boy's feet. "Okay, that's...a little weird." She remarked, giggling along with a laughing Jackson as he wiggled his bare, unprotected toes.

"I know!" He exclaimed, bolting across the chamber towards a flight of stairs, crafted by ice _so carefully_ that it almost seemed transparent. Rushing, the boy flew up the stairs that lead straight up towards the ceiling and-

Andrea gasped as she noticed the a gigantic hole that tainted the perfectly smooth, frosted ceiling; finally realizing it was _the exactly hole she fell through!_

Light shone through the hole, the soft glow alighting the chamber and the giant cavern that lead to the tumbling, darkened floor below...

Standing on the remaining steps, Jackson beamed up at the huge hole just above his brown-haired head. He hesitantly reached out, his hands stroking the icy surface of the broken before stretching his palm out. Jackson gasped as violent, bitter winds brushed past his hand, the boy snapping his hand back and cradled on his chest.

Andrea continued to watch, hearing how the boy muttered with wide, vulnerable and terribly confused eyes. "How could this..It's...I'm..." He mumbled under his breath, before twisting around to rush away from the hole- _the exit to the cruel, dangerous world._

The boy halted, both Andrea and Jackson glaring at each other as Andrea held thick stick that was leaning on a nearby wall...

"What's with the stick?" She questioned, shaking her hand that clasped the branch to make Jackson understand what "Stick" she meant. Even though, Jack already knew she meant the tall, straight branch that ended with a curved 'G' shape on the top.

"Give that back!" Jackson cried, bolting down the remaining stairs to snatch the fragile branch from Andrea's grip. She raised an eyebrow as he held the branch close, an expression of relief across his face until he spat back at Andrea, "And it's a _staff_, actually."

"Well, that staff looks a hell lot like an ordinary stick." Andrea added, watching as Jackson's glared daggers at her while she talked.

"You have a staff!" Jack complained, using his free hand to frantically gesture to the thick, sturdy branch that was still in Andrea's tightening grip.

"No, _this_-" Andrea waved the branch in Jackson's face, "Is an _ordinary_ stick. An average branch I found in the woods and I used for walking and defence. Also, it once saved my life- but that's a whole different story." Andrea explained, "It's an average, completely ordinary branch from a forest. Just a stick, _not a_ _staff_."

"How did it save your life?" Jackson asked, completely ignoring the whole intention of the speech Andrea gave.

Andrea smacked her head in frustration, holding the bridge of her nose as she grumbled out, "Why don't we actually know each other for longer _than a few minutes_, and then I'll tell you."

"I-..okay then." Jackson replied, shuffling awkwardly and staring down at his feet as he then spoke, "So, I guess you'll want to leave soon."

Snapping her head up, Andrea stared at Jackson with shocked eyes. Why would she leave after-

He had a point. She'll have to leave _eventually, _people will notice she was gone sooner or later. Besides, she promised to return back home! She can't stay here, she has so much to do...

_'But what will happen to him?'_ She thought, looking at the boy with wondering eyes, _"What will happen once I leave? Will he stay here? Oh Moon, he can't remain stuck here! He can't stay here after suffering 300 years alone!" _Andrea physically shook her head at that horrible thought, '_But where can he go if he leaves? Even if he even knew about the world, 300 years is a long time for him to forget and everything to change. He could hurt out there, by himself, but he can't remain forever! Dear moon! He'll be alone either way-'_

And then an idea came.

She huffed at the thought, preferring not to do go with the idea. _'But you can't let that boy be alone...'_ Andrea sighed, the mental battle still going on in her head.

"Yeah." Andrea mumbled a reply, stepping past the depressed boy to the staircase that exited to the real world above. She halted, biting her lip in though, staring upwards before turning back to see Jackson staring right at her.

That was when she made her decision, and it was probably one she'll regret.

She smiled at Jackson, gesturing her head at the stairs, "Come on then."

"W-what?" Jackson stumbled out, incredibly confused by Andrea intentions.

Rolling her eyes, she sprinted to Jackson and clasped his wrist, "Lets go, come on!" She laughed, dragging Jackson up the icy steps to the gaping hole above. Andrea's feet slid slightly while climbing such slippery steps, but she was beyond caring.

_"Go!?"_ Jack exclaimed as he was forced up the stairs, "G-go_ where?!_"

"Where do you think?!" Andrea replied, "We're going up, we're going _outside!_"

_"Outside!"_ Jackson suddenly cried, tearing his wrist from Andrea's iron grip with a yank. Andrea halted at the action, standing on the last steps towards the surface. Turning back, she looked at Jackson; spotting him looking down at his hands and staff.

"Yes, outside! To the wonder beyond this cave, to the world out there!" She yelled with a smile, which Jackson didn't return.

"I-I'm not sure I want to, or even _can_, go outside." Jackson spoke, and Andrea then saw how confused and terrified Jackson was.

Andrea sighed at the boy, cautiously descending a few steps to reach Jackson. Placing her hands gently on his shoulders, Andrea forced him to look up at her as she talked. "Jackson, I know we've only just met, and that you must be very confused and scared right now, but you can't stay here forever." Jackson stared at her as she continued, "I can't leave you in this damp, lonely cave for your whole, life. I'll never forgive myself, it might be the only regret I'll ever have and it might haunt me until I'm dead."

"I can't go out there." Jackson whispered.

"Yes you can, you just have...take a few steps." Andrea assured, "Just a few steps, it isn't that difficult. You'll see an amazing world with so many wonders and discoveries..." She stepped backwards, going up the stairs and held a hand out for Jackson to take, "but you can't see that unless you come with me and take those few steps.

Jackson stared at the hand, his expression torn. He gazed up at Andrea, who gave a warm smile.

Then, with a bright, wondrous eyes, Jackson took the given hand, "Okay." He answered, returning the soft smile as Andrea laughed.

"Yes!" Andrea exclaimed, rushing up the stairs with a joyful cheer, "Be prepared, Jackson, for the world beyond!"

And with that, Andrea and Jackson climbed up the remaining stairs; breaking into the glorious world above and never turning back to the dark, lingering cavern behind them...

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**You like? Don't like? Tell me in a review! **


	3. Chapter 2: Brown eyed one

**Thank you so much for the feedback, my lovelies! It's good to know that people are liking the idea of this story/AU.**

**I plan to update once every week, two weeks max. Unless I have more time to write these chapters, and I've written my other stories beforehand, then you might get several chapters per week!**

**...**

**Reviews are at the bottom, 'cause I've decided to have them at the bottom A/N instead of the top.**

**...**

**Remember, if there is any grammar, spelling or punctuational mistakes then inform me either by PM or review and I'll correct them.  
**

**Also, if you have any other problems you want to discuss, then send me a PM and I'll reply ASAP.**

**READ ON!**

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**Chapter Two: **Brown Eyed One

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Bright, shining light almost burnt Jackson's eyes, the whitening blindness overwhelming him until he was forced to cover his face in protection. Sounds rung in his ears, thundering winds making his eardrums ache and mind go into a sort of trance.

Or maybe his mind was in a trance because of the shock of it all.

One moment, he was in his cave- trapped for another day, or week, or possibly a year (Jackson couldn't tell really tell the time in that dark cavern)- attempting to carve one of his new dream inspirations into an empty sheet of ice in the tunnels. Next thing he knew, a raging roar from Phil sended him bolting down the mazes of tunnels and chambers he memorized by heart.

And then he collided into a person, _a real, living person!_

Sure, it was a rather sarcastic and arrogant person, but still a breathing _person_; the first Jackson has _ever_ seen except from the disfigured reflections of himself in the smooth ice of the caverns.

Jackson took a depth breath, trying to control his overexcited nerves while he processed everything in his sight. It was bright, windy, and kinda cold- but it was still outside, and every time that thought came into Jackson's head his fingers and body would reach a whole new level of unbearable shaking...until he just couldn't contain it anymore.

_"I'm outside!"_ Jackson cried with a tone of pure joy and excitement, flinging his arms out as he jumped into the air, "I'm finally _outside!_"

His bare feet bounced through the thick, crunching blanket of...well, he wasn't sure what the stuff was at the moment, but it prickled his toes with bitterness as he spun and leaped across the landscape, the freezing temperatures not even making him shiver slightly.

Vibrant colours of white and blues blurred across his vision as he twirled, letting out a bellowing yell as the landscape surrounding Jackson welcomed him with gusts of cold, harsh wind.

Overwhelming excitement, joy and adrenaline rushed into his brain until he couldn't help himself from collapsing into the ground of bitter, crunchy substance underneath him, releasing a loud, delighted laugh as he did so.

Staring at awe, Jackson pointed up at the bleached sky and its misty, thin clouds. "That's a cloud!" he realized, the grin across his face widening as he pointed at more things near him, "And above that is the sky. Oh, and that looks like a bush in the distance! And...and this cold, bitter stuff underneath me is...erh..._snow!_" He exclaimed, snapping his fingers in delight of his new knowledge, "Yes, it's snow! I like it, it's cold and soft, yet can also be hard and painful if you squish it up and-"

Jackson couldn't help himself, he just kept on _talking_; pointing out close surroundings and discovering what they were with a bright, childishly innocent grin across his face as he did it all.

And, for once after all the centuries he's been left in solitude, there was somebody to _listen_ to him!

A light giggle made him turn his head, his chocolate-brown hair getting covered in tiny flakes of snow while he moved, and look at the girl making the quiet noise.

_Andrea._ Her name was Andrea, Jack recalled from memory. It sounded like a sweet name...but, then again, it was the_ first_ name he has heard of apart from his own name and 'Phil'.

That didn't prevent Jackson from thinking her name was nice, though.

"You know, for a person that has lived in a cave for their whole life, you sure know a lot about the outside." Jackson smiled brighter as Andrea peered down at him and almost rolled her eyes at his stupidity to lay in the snow.

Jackson watched her pace about with ease, taking in all her features and details as he stared. He noticed the different tones of brown and gold strands in her hair, the mixture of green and brown pigments that swirled across her bright, wondrous eyes, the way the tips of her hair curl and go wavy slightly and spread out across her shoulders, the little, pale scars across her upper lip and right cheekbone, and several other little details that an ordinary person wouldn't have bothered to notice.

But this is the first person, apart from himself, that Jackson has ever seen, so he was gonna remember _every_ single detail.

"Anyway!" Andrea suddenly spoke as she flung her arms out and faced Jackson, "Welcome to the Frosted Hills!" She exclaimed with a grin while Jackson staggered on to his feet. "Also known as the most coldest, bitter and inhabitable part of the land! The only place where Winter is around for the _whole _the year- yet it has one harsher season compared to the rest which we believe is its own winter." She explained, continuing to look at Jackson, who was dusting off the snow attracted to his clothes as he listened to Andrea intensely.

Jackson head jerked as Andrea swiftly pointed her hand to the left, "The Kingdom of Saint North is to the South West," She then pointed her other hand to the right, "And the Kingdom of Toothiana is a journey to the South East." Pointing both hands behind her, Andrea continued "Further North is the fallen Kingdom of Frost, and far away in the opposite direction, you'll find the broken Kingdom of the Silvers."

_'So many kingdoms!'_ Jackson thought as he listened to Andrea babble on and on about all the different kingdoms and where they were in the land. His head began to spin as he took all the information, a sudden harsh gust of wind making him sway in different directions as he remained amazed and bewildered. "How many Kingdoms are there!?" He shouted an ask as the severe wind made it almost impossible to hear.

"I don't know!" Andrea yelled, "They must be around eight main kingdoms, possibly 9." She guessed as the wind began to die down slightly, "You have the alliance of the Guardians, the Kingdom of Pitch, the fallen Kingdoms of Frost and Silver- yet they're still counted as ruling kingdoms, for some insane reason -and the Kingdom of Manny, which is an old myth, in my opinion." She concluded, counting on her fingers until she paused, staring up at Jackson, "You have no idea what I'm saying, do you?"

"Nope, _but I want to!_" Jackson shouted in delight and determination, advancing towards Andrea with so much energy that it could have been bouncing, "These places, these kingdom and towns and villages, they sound so amazing! So fascinating and exciting, I just _have_ to know more!" Andrea laughed as Jackson jumped away, himself continuing to survey the surrounding in a hyperactive daze.

"You should know all this!" Andrea cried loud enough for Jackson to hear, "Every young child was raised to learn the map of the land and every kingdom's name _by heart!_" She talked with a grin, before her smile suddenly slacked; all happiness gone within her expression.

Jackson halted, ignoring the beautiful landscape around him as he noticed the cheery atmosphere falter slightly as Andrea's face became grim. Giving a rather pitying look, Andrea gazed up at Jackson and softly spoke, "Jackson, answer this question honestly. When you woke up-"

"I told you, I don't remember anything." Jackson immediately cut off Andrea, already having ideas of what she was going to ask before her sentence even finished.

"Let me finish!" Andrea snapped, frowning at Jackson in irritation, "When you woke up, how old did you look?"

That...that was such an odd _question!_ It took Jackson a rather long time to find the answer to that one, for he had to try to remember something from long ago. Had to remember beyond the _darkness_ and _cold_. Oh, how horrific those times where, it still gave shivers up Jackson's spine.

He shook his head violently, trying to drive those corrupted memories away. He then recalled the question, and gave a small shrug "I...I look about the same age, I think. Looking about-" Jackson looked down, analyzing himself, "-Well, whatever this age is."

Jackson watched as Andrea nodded, before she turned away from him and paced, her expression showing deep thought. Glancing up, Andrea gave him a sincere glare, "Your memories were taken." She claimed, before continuing to pace as Jackson was left dumbstruck.

"_Taken?!_ How could you possibly believe they were-?"

"If you were taken at an incredibly young age, it would make sense why you can't remember your past life- because you were too young to remember anything beforehand." Andrea assumed, "But, if you are true to your word, and you're _were_ taken to the age you are now, then you must have had your memories removed because you're at the age when you can clearly remember your life and everything about it!" She decreased her pace, returning back to Jackson to place a loose arm round his shoulder, making him flinch at the sudden, foreign contact. "The only possible way for you to have forgotten your life beforehand is that your memories were taken."

"Or I didn't have any memories at all." Jackson added, swiping away Andrea's friendly gesture, looking at her with a serious glare, "Look, maybe I wasn't anybody before this, before that cave. Maybe...maybe I was just _created_ there, just made by some magic and left in that cave."

"No, no, no, no. That wouldn't be right." She argued, striding off as she thought, "A person wouldn't just _leave_ you in a cave, not after putting in so much effort and magic into creating you." Her hand brushed through her golden hair, until she snapped her finger and twirled around, "You-!" Andrea exclaimed, pointing at a rather stunned Jackson, "You must have been important. So important, in fact, that you had to be taken away to be protected. And whoever took you- whether they did it for a good or bad reason -must of removed your memories!" Andrea clapped her hands together in victory, "Oh, I am a pure _genius!_"

"But...how do I get these removed memories back!?" Jackson asked, his voice rather panicked and confused as all the information crashed on top of him, almost overwhelming his dazed brain.

Andrea placed her hand on her chin, humming slightly as she came up with ideas. _"The Palace of Toothiana!" _She suddenly exclaimed, snapping her fingers another time.

"P-pardon?" Jackson stuttered, left bewildered and puzzled once again.

"_Brilliant!_ We'll visit the palace of Queen Toothiana, for she's also known as the Guardian of Memories!"

"I still don't understand what you mean by this-"

"Queen Toothiana has spent her whole life battling monstrous creatures and hundreds of armies just to protect the memories of childhood, and has used ancient magic to lock the memories of every child away in their baby teeth. If we could find her and tell her your problem, she might be able to give you your baby teeth!"

"And they hold..._my childhood memories!_" Jackson yelled, realization of the plan making him grin uncontrollably.

"Then you will remember!" Andrea added, looking at Jackson with such excitement and joy before turning towards a brown, leather satchel at her side. Opening it up, Jackson observed Andrea as she rummaged through the bag's contents, until she eventually pulled out a rolled piece of parchment, tied by a piece of twine.

Jackson hurried over to Andrea as she unrolled the parchment, spreading it out as she held it tightly in front of Jack. Markings of ink and colour were dotted across a drawn map as the parchment was revealed, tiny sketches of castles, town and little forests across the page. "Keep hold of this, will you?" Andrea spoke, handing to parchment for Jackson to take. He accepted the paper with shaking hands, holding it out straight for both himself and Andrea to peer down at.

"This here, is the Palace of Toothiana, which also known as the Tooth Palace." Andrea describe, pointing at a castle to the far East that had a bright, vibrant pink diamond within it's center. "We are at the Frosted Hills, which is here, up the far North." She continued, pointed at a large blank patch on the North of the map, which was marked _'The Frosted_ _Hills'_ in black ink.

"We'll have to take a journey South East to reach the palace." She dragged her finger across the map, going past patches of dark and light green, "We'll journey along the safest route, which will take about two weeks, possibly longer if we're unfortunate. We'll have to travel through thick forest, grassland and several villages until we're even close to the Tooth Palace..."

"What's there?" Jackson questioned, pointing at another drawing of a kingdom that was in the center of the map, underneath a giant patch of forest. The drawing kingdom was far different compared to the rest, for the drawing was faded and the hexagon symbol inside was barely visible- like nobody bothered to re-draw it.

"Ah, that's the fallen Kingdom of the Silvers," Andrea answered, "We'll have to go through there since they still have an active town and market, and they're also the closest place in our journey. But they're under the ruling of Pitch Black, so it might be difficult to enter there."

"Who?" Jackson gazed up at Andrea, puzzled.

"The Nightmare King, you don't want to mess with him. As long as we act casual through the fallen Kingdom of the Silvers, we'll be fine and, _hopefully_, not arrested."

Andrea took the parchment from Jackson, rolling the map back up before she returned it back to her satchel. Jackson twitched as Andrea wrapped a tight, encouraging arm round his shoulders, "Don't worry, dear Jackson! For I promise that I will assist you on the journey to the Palace of Toothiana and help you recover your stolen memories."

Jackson stared up at Andrea, his deep brown eyes wide in shock as he went speechless.

This girl, this one, individual person that he has met only a few _minutes_ ago, was promising to _help_ Jackson travel _across the land_ to receive something that he might not have but has wanted him, _needed_, for centuries.

"W-why are you helping me?" Jackson stumbled out, glancing away from Andrea as he continued, "You could have just left me in that cave, it would have made your life easier, but you decided to drag me out and help me."

A sad look dawned on Andrea's face when Jackson gazed back at her, before he witnessed it vanish and be instantly replaced with a bright smile and a wondrous gleam in her eyes, "Because, Jackson-"

"Jack." He corrected, but she didn't listen anyway.

"-I'm not the type of person to miss an opportunity of adventure." She laughed, advancing towards Jack, "And, we're also rather alike."

"How?" He asked, tilting his head as he smiled slightly.

"You're curious, so am I. You want adventure, so do I. You're alone, I prefer to be alone. We'd be a rather great team, ironically. And if not, we can go through all this and part without having to speak to each other _ever again_." Andrea explained, "Also, because of this journey, you could gain your memories. And If you don't, then you're out of that dreadful cave and have glorious freedom in a whole different world. So it's a win-win!"

"What's in it for you? What would you win for this?"

"A chance of adventure, which is always fun." She answered, "Gives me something to look back on and waste a few weeks on."

Jackson stared at her, feeling that she was lying to him, or at least not telling the whole truth. By the way her eyes looked, the way the gleam in her hazel irises dimmed slightly, it seemed like there was something else, a different purpose she was doing this for. It made his stomach clench and squirm horribly, he doesn't want to journey across a foreign land with somebody he doesn't trust...but what other options has he really got? Return to his cave? _Ha!_ Good luck getting him back in _there_ without a rather vicious fight.

"Ah, don't have such a sad look, Jackson!" Andrea piped, shaking his shoulders before she darted off, "We only have to journey _dozens_ miles across the land, while going through unknown forests and several threatening kingdoms , and be able to enter the Tooth Palace without being beheaded!" Andrea exclaimed, turning around to smile delightfully at Jackson as she flung her arms behind her, "What the worst that can happen?!"

* * *

"_Dear Moon!_ Can't you walk any _faster?!_" Andrea cried, clutching her cloak tighter in frustration as she thud through the thick snow. Turning to face the meaning of her anger, she saw Jackson narrow his eyes and give her a rather irritated look.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I never realized that people who have never been outside for_ 3 centuries_ should be able to walk quickly!" He yelled, bursting into a quick jog to reach Andrea, before returning his sluggish pace.

Andrea rolled her eyes at the boy. _'Irritating little bastard'_ she thought, already having second thoughts about the journey...which started only a couple of hours ago.

Giving Jackson another annoyed look, Andrea reached to her side, opening the flap of her worn, leather satchel. Digging through its contents, Andrea let out a noise of victory as she picked out two bright crimson fruits, immediately munching into one of the fruits as she held the other in her hand. "Here." She spoke, tossing the fruit to Jackson who caught it in one hand. Which was good, because Andrea would have been rather pissed if Jackson dropped it and wasted such a tasteful fruit.

He glared down at the fruit in his palms, before gazing back up at Andrea with a puzzled look. She sighed, rolling her eyes for another time that day. "It's food, a thing that you eat to live and survive. You put it up to that thing you use to talk and-"

"I know how to eat, for Moon's sake!" Jackson snapped.

"Then eat the bloody thing then!" She yelled back, her cheeks burning red as all the frustration and annoyance began to pile up on her.

Andrea watched as Jackson brought the fruit to his lips, before he chewed it with a loud crunch. A chunk of the crimson fruit disappeared as he ate, revealing the palely, moist inside. Giggling, Andrea saw Jackson's confused eyes lit up wonderfully as he ate. "What the hell is this?"

"That you have there, is an apple, a very common fruit across the land. However, this apple can only be picked in the Bitter Mountains, just South West from the Frosted Plains." Andrea explained "The village that picks them call it a 'Whitened Apple', for many reasons. But I guess you wouldn't have known that because you don't have things like this in that cave you lived in-"

"I don't need to eat." Jackson interrupted, taking another bite from the apple with a cheery grin.

Raising an eyebrow, Andrea paused before she thought,_ 'He's been alive for 300 years,_ of course _he doesn't need to eat!'_

"Of course you don't need to eat-" Andrea grumbled, until she realized something, "Hang on, does that mean I just _wasted_ a whole good apple on you?"

"Yep." Jackson chuckled, his grin widening devilishly but hide it behind the lush apple he still ate.

She huffed, grumbling about her irritation under her breath as she carried on chewing her own apple until only the hard pips inside were left. "You finished you apple?" Andrea asked as she fiddled with the seeds in her palm, turning to the boy beside her.

Jackson nodded, observing one of the seed within his fingers before bringing it to his mouth to attempt to eat. Andrea instantly smack his hand when she noticed his actions, "Don't eat them, you idiot!"

"Why not?" Jackson asked, rubbing his hand that was sore and red due to Andrea's hard slap.

"Because it was called a 'Whitened Apple' for a reason!" She exclaimed, "That apple might be sweet and delicious, but the pips inside are so poisonous, that even having a lick of them will cause your eyes to whiten and make you dead on the floor!" Andrea cried, snatching the seeds out of Jackson's hand, "Also, they're used to make more apple trees and are used for good luck if you hang them round your neck in a leather pouch." She added, placing the seeds into a silk bag inside her open satchel.

"I, urh...I'll remember that, next time." Jackson stuttered out, "What's that?" He then asked, Andrea glancing at Jackson to see he was pointing at a worn out, black leather book hidden within the satchel.

"It's a book, you moron. What else could it have been?" Andrea answered, rearranging the items in her bag before closing it, hiding the book and other stuff inside.

"What type of book is it?"

_'I swear to the moon, if this kid asks anymore questions I'll be hanged for murder.'_ Andrea thought, gritting her teeth before answering Jack, "It's just a book, a plain book-"

"Oh, so the type you draw and write in?" Jackson disrupted, causing Andrea's jaw to ache as she clenched her teeth with more angered force.

"Yes." She hissed, glaring at Jackson intensely.

"Alright, I thought it might be a book you would read. Which is ridiculous, because you don't seem like the reading type."

"And you hardly seem like the silent type, either." Andrea grumbled, peering back at the blanked, whitened horizon of the Frosted Plains.

"I remember this giant library, just filled with books. Whatever book you could think of, that library would have in three different version, at least. Oh, and there was this whole gigantic shelf of the library dedicated to books written by William Joyce*. Such a brilliant man, I think I met him once-" Jackson babbled, before he stopped. Andrea turning to look at Jackson, curious as to why he stopped talking, to witness a lost, complex expression shadow his face.

_"...Jackson?"_ Jackson's expression vanished as Andrea spoke his name, the look replaced with a puzzled and dazed appearance. "So, you were talking about this library, and somebody called William Joyce?" Andrea reminded Jackson, hoping to knock him out of his confused trance.

"No...I think I just made that all up, the whole library and the...and that William Joyce person." Jackson replied, his brow creased as in complicated thought.

_'That's a lie.'_ William Joyce was a real writer from around 300 years ago, Andrea definitely knew that. He was famous, praised for his glorious writings in Children's Literature and honored by the land until his golden years. But those books have been long forgotten, barely anybody remembers the man and what greatness he did.

_'Pity, he was a rather good writer from what I heard.'_ Andrea sighed,_ 'Everybody ends up forgotten, eventually. Fate doesn't like to keep stories.'_

Andrea only looked at Jackson with sorrow, a pain thudding in her heart as she tried to imagine what it was like to have been alone for centuries, with no memories and no idea of what their future holds. Her heart only ached more when she realized it wasn't so hard for her to picture.

Deeply sighing, Andrea looked ahead, noticing the small tree line just beyond the bitter horizon. It made her hold hope for the journey ahead, and for the dear person that was traveling beside her.

However, little did her or Jackson know, that a dark, lingeing shadow stretched across the broken entrance of the dark, horrid cave Jackson used to b hidden within. Both were also unaware of how the shadow murderously screeched and dashed into the night, journeying straight to the darkest kingdom...

* * *

***This should have been obvious. William Joyce is the writer of the 'Guardians of Childhood' series and several other children's novels. He is the one that caused Rise of the Guardians to exist, so I had to mention him in here.**

**...**

**Okay, _REVIEW TIME!_**

**_MD (Guest):_ What game is this? I'll like to play it if it's anything similar to this story! XD  
Aw, thank you for the comments, I hope you keep enjoying the story!**

**_Nanu Kitty:_ Okay, you are _officially_ my personal stalker, now, just thought you might want to know. **

**That was kinda the point, the song can basically fit in most of the story, which is what makes it such brilliant song! (Also, glad to know you like the song, 'cause the story could have lost it's magic if you didn't enjoy the music :P)**

**_Guest (Who is a guest, obviously):_ Thank you so much, dear! I hope you keep reading!**

**...**

**If you liked this chapter and want to have more, then send a little _Rate_ _and Review!_ :D**


	4. Chapter 3: First Snowfall

**I'm so sorry for the late update, guys! I've been busy updating my other fanfiction (Which only has a few chapters to go until completion, hooray!) and I've got overwhelmed with going back to school (It's either the teachers are alright, or utterly horrible. There is no inbetween.)**

**Anyway! If there are any mistakes (Grammar, spelling, punctuation etc.) or you're confused about something (Or just want a friendly chat! I don't bite, I swear.) then send a PM or mention something in a review!**

**Alright, I won't keep you waiting any longer! _ONWARDS!_**

* * *

**Chapter 3**: First Snowfall

* * *

A chorus of twitters, scatters and other wondrous noises echoed across the towering trees and wilderness, Nature's song occasionally broken by the snap of a twig or the crunch of snow under feet as two people trudged dully through its forest.

Looking up, Andrea sighed at the tranquil, beautiful landscape surrounding her, the cool air and blue hue of the clouded skies overwhelming her sense with a peaceful and calm bliss, giving her the urge to just lay upon the ground and stare at the frost and skies until she was old and withered.

Andrea liked places like these, the landscapes that are barely ventured into by humans, only Nature and her forest creatures truly knowing the land. Places like these show the real meaning of the land, revealing the magic that has hidden away by the kingdoms.

Sighing, Andrea closed her eyes for a moment, letting the darkness swarm her vision as she breathed in the bitter and sweet air deeply. At the snap of a twig, Andrea jerked her head and her eyes were wide open, her body rather tense as if prepared for an attack-

She narrowed her eyes when she realized it was Jackson, who snapped a small twig off of a low tree to play with it.

"Why do that?!" Andrea spat, irritated. Jackson looked at her, puzzled, "Why snap that twig off? You've got a giant _stick_ to play with!" Andrea gestured at the thick stick in his hand to clarify.

"I've already said this, its a _staff!_"

"Just accept the fact that I'm gonna call it a stick." Andrea turned her head to hide her smirk as Jackson's face tinted red in frustration, but that colour faded eventually as he smiled up at Andrea softly. Seeing the smile in the corner of her eye, Andrea smiled back, before she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"Andrea? What's wrong? Why are we stopping-?"

"Shush!" Andrea hissed at Jackson, the boy shutting his mouth as Andrea listened intensely to the forest around her. She swore she heard something...

A piercing cry made Andrea twist her head, glancing beyond the thick trees to see a figure of black and smoke-

_"Run!"_ She cried, clasping Jackson's wrist and sprinting further into the forest as the dark creature let out a thundering wail. Rushing through the trees, Andrea was smacked by low branches and bushes, her hair getting tangled and her face getting scratched as she and Jackson ran across the forestland; constantly looking behind in terror.

"Andrea!" Jackson desperately cried at her, "Andrea, what's going on?!"

Andrea ignored Jackson, pay more attention to the gigantic trees that overwhelmed them. One caught her interest, it's branches rather low and thick and climbable...

"Quickly!" Andrea yelled, dragging Jackson to the spotted tree. Letting go of Jackson, she clutched on to one of the lowest branches, kicking her feet up as she began to climb its branches. Taking a glance to the ground below, she noticed Jackson still standing on the forest floor, looking at her with utter confusion and panic. "Climb the tree, you idiot!" Andrea commanded, seeing Jackson hesitate at the branches, "Dear moon, _climb!_"

Jackson clasped on to a rather high branch, Andrea noticing his shaking hands and the difficulty he was having. She bit her lip, her stomach squirming in worry, wondering if Jackson would be able to climb the tree on time...

Almost sighing in relief as Jackson reached the other branches with ease, Andrea reached out for Jackson with one hand as he began to frantically climb the tree higher, hands holding one branch to another. Jackson looked up at Andrea, spotting her hand waiting for him. He grasped on to it, desperately, as Andrea helped to pull himself up. They both sat on a thick branch, several feet above the ground; almost wanting to collapse in exhaustion but stayed frozen because they didn't want to fall off.

"Are you gonna tell me what's going on-" Andrea covered Jackson mouth with her hands when he attempted to speak, giving him a threatening glare while doing so. Glancing below, Andrea held her breath as she heard another horrifying, blood-chilling wail nearby. She watched, her hands shaking as she continued to silence Jackson, as the creature after them crawled out of the trees, scattering around with a hiss.

She clasped Jackson's mouth tighter when he let out a terrified cry, the sound muffled and barely audible due to Andrea's way of concealing it. Glancing at Jackson, he stared at her with frightened eyes, occasionally gazing at the creature under their feet.

It was pure black, it's body moving constantly like smoke, leaving trails of a substance similar to ink as it dripped from it fangs and long talons like blood. The only different colour on the creature apart from the blackness was it's eyes, bright, corrupted crimson that darted to survey every part of the surrounding.

_"Fearling."_ Andrea mouthed, releasing a stuttering breath as she watched the creature with pure fear. Such dark creatures never venture so far from their homeland, which was straight in the darkened mountains where-

Andrea's hands clenched, Jackson releasing a cry of discomfort as she clasped his head painfully. She stared at Jackson with a rather apologetic look, removing her hands when she realized she was causing him to make more noise than preventing it. Putting her shaking finger to her lips, Jackson nodded in understanding at what she was trying to signal at him before they both glared at the creature below once more.

Intensely watching, the duo peered as the creature moved around, drifting across the forest floor - for it had no real feet, only a wispy tail like a ghost's. It searched the close trees and bushes, before advancing the exact tree Andrea and Jackson were hiding in. The creature glanced up, Andrea tensing up and holding a breath as it stared upwards.

Then, with a shake of its head and another, booming cry, it blasted into the forest, rushing away back to its kingdom.

Andrea finally released her breath, relief across her face as she began to calm her racing heart. Holding her shaking hands, she gazed up at Jackson to see him have a shaken expression.

"What on the moon was...was that _thing?!_" Jackson yelled, throwing his hands upwards. He almost fell backwards as he leaned, Andrea flinging her arms behind him to prevent himself from falling even though there was no need.

Straightening his back and clasping the branch securely, Jackson faced Andrea as she spoke with a stutter, "We should probably get down, b-before we fall or-"

"That horrible creature comes back?" Jackson added, Andrea nodding at Jackson's comment, before beginning to slip off the sturdy branch and preparing to climb down. When she reached the bottom with barely any effort, she looked up at Jackson in waiting.

Then, Jackson flung himself forwards, plummeting out of the tree and towards the ground. "Jackson!" Andrea let out a cry as Jackson plunged down, accidentally being whacked by many branches as he spread his arms out wide.

Andrea let out a pained wince as he hit the ground, landing into a thick pile of snow with a muffled yell of pain escaping him. "Holy shit, are you okay-?!" She yelled as she rushed towards the boy.

He jumped out of the snow with a small grin on his face, "Fine!" Jackson replied, throwing his arms up as the frozen substance got caught in his hair and cloak, "I'm perfectly fine."

"Oh."_ 'Immortal spirit, Andrea. How much of a fucking moron did you have to be to forget that?'_ "Alrighty then, I thought you might of, like, _died_ or something, which would have been unfortunate." She replied, before trekking off and returning to the woodland trail.

Jackson followed after her, running to catch up with her and ask, "Are you gonna tell me what...what that _thing_ was?!" He exclaimed, jerking his head to survey the nearby trees in paranoia.

"That creature you just saw was a fear-" Andrea began to explain, but the return of a blood curdling screech made her twist around, only to see Jackson be clutched by sharp, swift talons and thrown through the trees.

_"Jackson!"_ Andrea screamed, bolting after Jackson and the rogue fearling. She watched the fearling circle above, hissing and spitting as it glared at the ground below where Jackson was collapsed. "Hey! You stay away from him, you shadow-crawling bastard!" She yelled at the fearling, picking up a rock near her feet to throw it at the creature.

The rock flew through its body, not even leaving a scratch, but it did catch the creature's attention. Blasting straight down from the skies and straight at Andrea, it swung its talons only to tear through Andrea's vulnerable arm. Crying out at the sudden agony burning in her arm, Andrea collapsed on to her knees in pain before she could prevent herself. She glanced up as the fearling rushed around, wailing in triumph of its strike while it advanced Andrea in a dizzying circle, talons ready to attack one more time.

As it finally dove forward, Andrea threw both her arms in front of her in defence, releasing a petrified scream.

A sudden wash of cold showered across Andrea as the fearling exploded into ice, the bitter substance falling on to her shaking, frightened form. Andrea parting her arms, peeking through the gap to see the fearling no more, but saw its darkened, corrupted essence trapped within the descending ice.

Dazed and puzzled, Andrea searched her surroundings with a throbbing, heavy head, her eyes barely able to process anything as they immediately blurred after the motion. "Hey, Are you...are you okay?" Jackson's voice made her focus on him, her vision clearing and strengthening enough for her to see Jackson crouch near her, looking at her with concerned eyes.

"Are you okay?" He repeated, trying his best to look at the cuts across her arms at the comfortable, not overwhelming distance he was, but to no avail. "Are you hurt? Where did that..._creature_ get you?"

Andrea nodded her head in response, her head still buzzing that she really didn't understand what he just asked. Shaking her brushing herself off as she stood and responded, "I'm fine, just got a few little," Andrea turned to look at her injured arm and cringed at the several, deep claw marks across her bicep, tears of crimson staining her torn up sleeve, "...A few little cuts, nothing that can't be fixed." _'It's gonna hurt like a bitch, though.' _Andrea mentally added, causing her to sigh.

"Oh, okay. At...at least you're okay now." Jackson added, Andrea glancing up to give him a small, encouraging smile, which he gladly returned. Jackson then stood up, and began to pace near the treeline to peer into the shadows, in search of more fearlings. Andrea watched him, noticing how he held his branch in defence as he expected more creatures to attack, but no more came.

Andrea's attention drew to the puddles of blackened ice piling up on the wintery grass. Curiously, she went up to a pile and picked up a handful with cups hands, the bitterness of the ice biting the skin of her palms as she let it fall between her fingers.

It was..._almost_ like snow! She's never really seen snowfall before, so seeing those darkened ice flakes fall between her fingers made her almost giddy. However, the emotions of confusion overpowered her childish joy, "How...on _earth_ does this work?" Andrea mumbled as she watched the shades of tint blue and inky black mixed together as they descended the ground.

Peering up, Andrea's face got covered in more of the small, darkened flakes as she stared up at Jackson, who's posture was beginning to relax as he noticed no surprises in the shadows. Andrea stood on her feet, snapping a twig as she did so, the noise echoing through the plain.

Jackson's entire body stiffened as he twisted around and a shot of blue light came from his staff, Andrea releasing a yelp and ducking before the blast hit her square in the chest. Spinning her head, she was just able to witness the blast of light collide into a tree, the light exploding and spreading across the bark as frost and ice.

"I- What- How-" Andrea stumbled out, lost for words as she straightened up and brushed herself off. She turned to Jackson, who was looking at her with as wide and shocked eyes as her. "Did you just..." Andrea began, but the question caught in her throat when she notice how Jackson's crooked branch literally pulsed with blue light, frost spreading across the stick's wood near Jackson's fingertips...

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for that to happen! I just heard a noise, and I immediately thought it was one of those creatures and I- I just-"

"How did you do that?" Andrea cut off Jackson's apology, reaching out to touch the tip of the branch to only retract her arm when frost spread along her fingers, leaving a bitter shiver through her body.

"I- I've always been able to do it." Jackson explained, "I've been able to do it every since...the beginning."

* * *

The soft crackle of a warm fire was the only sounding breaking the dreadful silence, the dim light from the flames lighting the trees near the edge of the grassy plain with a warm, safe glow. Moonlight also shone across the plain, giving the whole forest a magical feel.

Andrea watched Jackson intently as she poked the fire that separated them, almost thinking about hunting for an animal and cooking it in the blazing flames, but discarded that idea immediately for she didn't want to murder such a creature in the mystical woodland she was in.

Jackson and Andrea walked through the forest in silence after that fearling incident, not even uttering a word or even bothering to ask a question. Even though Andrea curiosity was wearing her patience thin, she didn't want to invade Jackson's privacy by asking so many, overwhelming questions.

Now, the silence is more awkward than ever as they finally settled down in a grassy plain, early spring flowers blooming and signaling that they were closer to the warmer side of the land then the Frosted Plains, which was a positive sign of their progress.

Silence continued to drag on, before Andrea dropped down her stick and deeply sighed. "So, you gonna tell me how the _hell_ you were able to almost give my head frostbite?" She asked, catching Jackson's attention and drawing his eyes away from the ground.

"Are you gonna finally tell me what the hell that creature was?" Jackson spat, his face rather grim.

Andrea simply rolled her eyes, "That creature you saw was a fearling. They're very nasty business, and apparently have been around since, well, the beginning of _time_, really." She shuffled closer to the fire as she explained, "It's also believed that the fearlings also work for the Nightmare King, which is _obviously_ true." Andrea also added, rubbing her arms as she was surrounded by the warmth of the fire, before wincing when she brushed over her wound.

"Fearlings are more like ghosts, but more solid, swift and definitely more vicious. They can strike fear and horror into any strong-hearted person with a scream, and kill a weak-hearted person by just _being there_." Andrea continued, reaching out for her satchel by her side and scavenged through it, not noticing how Jackson paled when he took in all the new information. "They can give people nightmares, hallucinations, and their talons and mouths apparently have a venom with enough power to draw you to a traumatic sleep for several months or even _years_, but it depends on the amount of venom and how long it's been in a person's system."

There was a pause as she searched through her bag, before pulling out a vial of clear liquid that, somehow, gave off a multi coloured aura in the firelight. Andrea also had a rag with her, that was rather faded of colour and covered in splashes of crimson.

Andrea poured the clear liquid across the rag, before pressing the cloth against the claw marks on her shoulder. She released a small cry of pain, Jackson moving forward as if to help but back down when Andrea hissed, gritted her teeth, and then finally gave a relieved grin.

"I- Urh, what is that stuff?" Jackson asked, staring at the bottle with puzzlement.

Andrea grinned at the slight disturbed and confused look in Jackson's eyes, "This stuff right here," She lifted up the vial with her spare hand, "Is water from the deeps ponds within the Warren, it has the ability to destroy fearling venom and heal deep wounds several times quicker than usual."

Jackson raised an eyebrow, "The..._Warren?_"

"Oh yeah, you've never been outside before, forgot about that." Andrea mumbled, "The Warren is within the center of the Kingdom of E. Aster Bunnymund, also known Bunny, in shorter terms." She answered Jackson, "The Warren is apparently this place full of _magical_ remedies and medicines, some people believe that's how Bunnymund has been able to live for so long. Also only him, the other rulers of the kingdoms - discounting the Nightmare King, obviously - and the people of his choosing can enter the Warren."

Removing the cloth, Andrea put the rag and vial back in her satchel and replaced them with a bandage, needle, and thread. As she wrapped the bandage round her injury - which looked much better and was healing well already - she sighed, "Man, what I'll _give_ to get into that Warren." Andrea then shook her head, "I'll be arrested on the spot if I went a few miles near that place."

Tying the bandage in a knot to secure it, Andrea then got the needle and thread and began to clumsily sew her torn up sleeve back together. The black thread stood out from the beige fabric, but Andrea didn't really mind as long as the shirt stayed in one piece.

"So, what's the story about the great Andrea Fawcett coming across my presence, then?" Jackson spoke as Andrea put all her items away, sitting cross-legged on the opposite side of the fire as he watched her intensely.

Andrea chuckled, "I remember asking you a question first." She replied, smiling at the boy.

Jackson shrugged, "Well, you have more memories than me. Anyway, what brought you to the...urh..."

"Frosted Hills?"

"That's the word." Jackson confirmed, "What caused you to accidentally _appear_ in my cave?"

"Fine, I'll tell you." She gave in, clearing her throat before beginning, "Well, I was near a little town, one of the towns we're gonna be visiting on our journey to the Tooth Palace, actually." Andrea beginning, getting herself more comfortable as she spoke her story, "I was talking to a market man that was selling some rather odd crystals. They were almost diamond like, but were engraved with snowflakes...in the inside!" Andrea paused to see Jackson's eyes grow wide, "Anyway, I asked him about them, and he said they were Snow Crystals. Not a very creative name, but I didn't bother to mention that. I also asked him where he found them, and he said they're very rare because they're supposed to be in the hidden away in the Kingdom of the Frost." She shrugged, "He said his friend and him found them stashed away in a hollowed out tree and that they could be sold for a rather hefty price."

"Wait, so you came to the Frosted Plains to...to get these crystals?" Jackson asked.

"Well, they had a very big price tag and I wanted some money-"

"So you're a _thief!_" Jackson exclaimed, taken aback by the belief that Andrea stole for a living.

"It doesn't count as stealing if it doesn't _belong_ to anybody." Andrea defended, "Also, it doesn't count as trespassing if nobody _owns_ the place. The Kingdom of the Frost died around years ago, anybody that lived there has been _long_ gone." She gave pitiful eyes at mentioning the Kingdom, "Which is such a shame, since it was supposedly one of the greatest Kingdoms of the land."

"What...what happened to it?" Jackson mumbled, "The Kingdom of the Frost, how come it died out?"

Andrea bowed her head, "Apparently, the heir to the throne disappeared. So, when the King and Queen died, the sister of the heir had to take his place. Such a young thing, the pain of losing her brother and the stress of ruling a kingdom caused her to make some bad choices and rivalries." Andrea shook her head, "She supposedly got slit by the throat during her sleep when she was in her late 20's. Such a cruel fate, but at least she joined the rest of her family in peace."

"So...that's how the kingdom died out?"

Shaking her head, Andrea continued, "Her son took her place for a few years, and got replaced by his son when he died, and then he got replaced by his daughter, and so on. Until, 100 years from today, the remaining heir got murdered by none other than the Nightmare King. And, since the heir had no children, siblings or wife, the kingdom died at the Nightmare King's hands."

"War broke out, stories say," Andrea told on, "And this war caused the horrible rivalry between the Kingdom of the Silvers and the Nightmare King to tenfold. However, eventually a truce got made and everything got solved, but everybody that once lived in the Kingdom of the Frosts had long gone and already tried to travel to other Kingdoms and beyond." She paused, "I'm not sure they made it across the Frosted Plains or not."

Jackson bowed his head, something akin to guilt and shame across his face as he stumbled out a quiet 'Oh'.

"It was nobody's fault, Jackson." Andrea convinced, "Even though you lived during that time, you was trapped and didn't know about any of it all. Everybody grieves over it still, but we easily move on now." She sighed, staring into the fires as she added, "Fate plans every kingdoms fall, and there's nothing that could have done about it."

A terrible pause stretched on as the pair went into pained silence, their heads lowered and their eyes glassy as they occasionally peered up at the flames. Straightening herself up, Andrea gave a smile, "So, care to _finally_ answer my question?" She asked Jackson, who stared at her, "How come you can shoot ice from your..._branch_."

"I think you should call it a _staff_, now. Like I've been _trying _to tell you earlier." Jackson spoke before he cast his brown irises at his hands, the flames making his eyes shine like bronze, "I've been able to do that for a while. I could do it ever since I was..." He paused, Andrea able to seem him bit his lip in hesitation from beyond the smoke and flames of the campfire, "Since I was born."

Andrea twiddled her thumbs as she waited for Jackson to continue, the urge to know more clouding her thoughts, but he remained silent. "What do you remember? When you was created?" She asked gingerly asked, "You don't have to answer if you don't want to, I understand if you don't because it must be a tough subject and- and-" Andrea began blurting and stuttering like an idiot, ashamed for provoking Jackson like that. She wasn't good with talking to people, especially with delicate subjects like this.

Bowing her head, her cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment and shame, not even daring to glance back up to see Jackson's reaction.

"It was dark." Andrea's peeked her eyes upwards as Jackson spoke, his eyes watching the flames as they were went cloudy, as if remembering a distant memory, "And cold, _very_ cold. Like my whole body was gonna freeze and shatter like ice in that single moment of consciousness."

Andrea stared up properly now, her stare not even faltering as she watched Jackson with interested eyes. Leaning on the hand, her elbow digging into her thigh as she did, Andrea listened intently to Jackson as he continued.

"A-And...And I was _scared_. Absolutely terrified as I open my eyes for the first time to be surrounded...surrounded by water." He quickly glimpsed away from the flames to see Andrea's reaction, only to notice her watching him with encouraging, warm eyes. "I woke up in water but, instead of sinking downwards, I was floating _upwards_. It was like I was being _pulled _to the surface as the ice cracked and let me though with ease. And, when I fell back down, the ice sealed under me and I was left to wonder...to wonder what was _happening_, where I was, _who_ I was. I had no name, no personality, _nothing_. So, I did what I could, learn to walk and then journey around, try to find _any_ information."

"I was scared throughout the whole time, and confused. I walked and walked and _walked_, leaving the room with the iced over pond far behind me, until...until I entered this chamber, with such a high ceiling it made me gape. And then there was the moon! Shining down on me through the open roof, and then, somehow,...I wasn't scared anymore." Jackson breathlessly chuckled, the joy in the laugh bitter and false, "As it shone down, I heard a voice. It wasn't speaking out loud, more like inside my head. It was the first thing I ever heard and it sounded..._magical_, a voice with such _power_ and _wisdom_. And it only said one thing, one single thing..."

"_'Jackson Overland'_." Jackson said in a different tone, trying to make himself sound more mighty and important, before he frowned, "And that was it, the roof suddenly closed up in thick sheet of unbreakable ice, and I was left alone...until Phil came a decade later.

"But, until he came, I had to entertain myself. I found my staff by that frozen pond and played with it, but then ice started coming out of it! I was shocked, and _majorly_ confused, before I practiced it more and discovered that wasn't all of what I was capable of!" Jackson grinned, leaping on to his feet and rushed over to Andrea, "Come on, I can show you!" He piped, clasping hold of Andrea's wrist and dragging her away from the fire and towards the edges of the plain where the towering trees began.

Confusion and excitement bubble up in Andrea, her curiosity to know more of Jackson' potential overpowering her worry and paranoia of them being notice, hurt, and possibly murdered. As Jackson halted and let go of Andrea's hand with a stumbling and flustered 'Sorry', he cleared his throat in preparation as he held his staff (_'Dammit, now_ _I'm calling it a staff.'_ Andrea mentally cursed.) close to him.

With a widening grin, Jackson took hold of his staff with both hands and pointed it near the trunk of an ancient, pine tree. The light of the fire behind them and the moonlight made Andrea notice the glistening frost embedded into the groves and dents of the wooden staff, her excitement peaking at the sight.

Then, ever so slowly, Jackson tapped the curved tip of his staff upon the trees barks. Frost spread across the trunk rapidly, beautiful swirls and patterns stretching along the tree as it sparkled in the dim light.

Andrea couldn't help but smile at the sight, her eyes shining with amazement and wonder. Turning to Jackson, she gestured her hands as if waiting for him to explain how it was possible for his powers to work, but he shook his head. "I don't know how it's possible." He replied, rather disappointed in himself for not knowing before his eyes relit with mischief, "But wait! That isn't all I could do!"

Jackson posture became more straight and tense, his brow creasing as he concentrated while he put one end of his staff on the mossy ground and the other pointing up at the starry night sky. "What are you do-?" Andrea began to ask, but she silenced herself before the question finished, not wanting to interrupt Jackson's concentration.

Looking at him, Jackson's stance reminded Andrea of a..._king_. His head held high and commanding, his posture strong and balanced, and his expression rather calm yet knowing just made her imagine him as a person of high power.

_'Maybe you were, once.'_ She thought and sighed, _'Oh, the life you must have unknowingly left behind, it must have_ _been perfect.'_

Her train of thought got broken when Jackson's eyes flung open with a sharp gasp. Backing away, Andrea stared at him with concerned eyes as he gasped for air and surveyed everywhere with wide eyes.

"S-sorry." He stuttered out, brushing a hand through his brown hair as his other hand kept an iron hold on his branch, "Usually, if I get distracted while doing this it gets rather..._draining_. I need to learn to keep my thoughts in check."

_'Can't help ya in that one, bud.'_ Only nodding, Jackson smiled at Andrea with an expression of expectation on his face and joy in his eyes. Andrea was about to ask why he had such an expectant look, until a flake of white fluttered past her eyes.

Andrea stared at that singular flake, it's fluffy surface landing on her nose and sent a bitter chill across her face. Shaking her head, she watched as similar, tiny flakes began to descend the sky in hundreds.

Puzzlement made Andrea's brow crease, her mind clouded in thought as she tried to understand what the foreign flakes actually were. When an idea finally came to mind, her eyes widened and she gaped, opening her palms out to catch the little flakes of beauty.

"Is this...Is this _snow?!_" Andrea exclaimed, tearing her eyes away from the cluster of snowflakes collecting in her shaking, reddening hands to peer up at Jackson, who nodded at her with a grin, "_This_ is snow! _Real_ snow! You actually just made it _snow!_"

"Why are you so surprised? You get snow all the time, right?" Jackson questioned as Andrea laughed with such happiness, tilting her neck so her face got covered in the falling snow.

However, at hearing Jackson's question, Andrea lowered her head to look at him with serious eyes, shaking her head solemnly, "Jackson, I've never seen snowfall in my life. Nobody has seen snowfall for three hundred years."

* * *

Snow fell across the entire land, each kingdom suffering a blizzard of snow and frost for the first time in centuries. It fell so heavy and swift, as if the snow had been locked up in the clouds for all that time and has finally been released to the world.

The lands blessed with, what they believed beforehand, eternal spring and summer rejoiced, accepting the wintery flakes of joy and fun with open arms and cherry coloured cheeks.

But, as the snow covered the darkened mountains of the North East, one kingdom laid in rage.

Soldiers, wearing their dim lead armor and clasping their deadly spears, fled the main hallway as their king rioted. Tapestries that were once hung were now torn to shreds, any furniture got smashed and attacked to sawdust and splinters, and the whole stone corridors littered with a thick layer of black sand.

"Majesty Pitch?" One guard spoke, his head high and the his medals pinned to his jacket shown proudly, as he waited for a response by his leader.

The man in charge, the Nightmare King himself, rested near a wide open window, watching the falling snow with a look akin to burning hatred and fury. His black cloak across his robes stretched across the floor, fading out like shadows in light. Turning around, the King took his eyes away from the winter weather to glare down at the guard.

"King Pitch, we have come to notice the...change of weather outside-"

"Who _hasn't?!_" The king suddenly roared, the shadows hiding across the room screeching in his fury, monsters curling out of the darkness with sharp talons and bloody fangs. Fearlings observed the trembling soldiers and guard as the Nightmare King returned to watching the snow, reaching his ashen coloured hand out to catch the small flakes that stood out in his palm.

Then, to everybody's surprise, the king chuckled.

"Oh, a joyful day this is and a joyful day it will be." He chanted, twirling on his heels to face his guard, "I demand that you and your men will march on and find the source of this snowfall. Bring my fearlings and night-mares with you, if you so wish." He spoke in a patient, calm tone, making the men before him want to shiver in fear.

His guard nodded, "Right away, you majesty. I'll prepare the men as soon as I can."

"Good, for I won't be able to remind you. I'll be busy negotiating with some..." The king let out a chuckle, that easily oozed with venom and corrupting, "_Guardians_." He finished as his guard saluted and marched off, yelling at the other traumatized men to follow after him.

Shaking his head, the Nightmare King continued to chuckle as he stared down at his palm, the once fresh and bitter snowflakes that melted away into water that blackened in his hand. "At last, the prophecy _begins_."

Then, with a twist of his shadows cloak, he vanished without a trace.

* * *

**I'm sorry, this chapter seems horrible *sobs for eternity*. However, it is over 5,500 words (Discounting A/N's), so there you go!**

**So, did you like this chap-y? If that is correct, then send a cutesy, little review! :D**

**...**

_**Frost-Prime1340: **_**Daw, thank you for liking my story, dear! *hugs***

**...**

**Did you like this chap-y? Then mention it in a cutesy little review! :D**


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